& Juliet Star Miriam-Teak Lee Roars in the Splashy New West End Musical

Miriam-Teak Lee was something of an overnight sensation when she played Claire De Loone in the 2017 Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park revival of On the Town, since which time she went on to understudy (and play) all three of the principal female roles in Hamilton. Now, the clarion-voiced Lee has a leading role all her own, as the emboldened heroine of the title in the jukebox musical & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre, where the show was previewing when Broadway.com rang for an engaging chat.

What led you to & Juliet?
My agent came to me about a workshop of a brand-new musical that offers a new start for Shakespeare’s Juliet and features pop music, and I thought, “I’m not sure how this is going to go, but I love the fact that it’s something new.” As soon as I got in the room on the first day of rehearsals, I was, like, “This is incredible!” I couldn’t wait to get started.

How did you proceed from workshop to full production?
At the end of the workshop, the response was so amazing that I think we all felt it. Soon after, the casting director asked me whether I would want to be part of this if something became of it and I said I would, definitely. I really liked what the show had to say about self-acceptance and self-love and being proud of who you are, and I hope [the musical] makes people look into themselves in a similar way.

What place is Juliet in when we find her at the start of your musical?
& Juliet is really a play-within-a-play, so you have Shakespeare [played by Oliver Tompsett] and Anne Hathaway [Cassidy Janson, late of Beautiful] doubling up and rewriting a story in which Romeo is dead, at least when we open the show, and Juliet is sort of looking into herself to think how she’s going to be able to carry on.

So, how does the back catalogue of the Swedish hit-maker and singer-songwriter Max Martin fit into that narrative?
What we’ve found is that the words just fit so brilliantly with the story. [Britney Spears’ debut single] “Baby One More Time” is taken much slower here and has a dramatic undertone where we see Juliet literally looking to the heavens in search for a sign. There’s a brand new song, “One More Try,” written specifically for this show, and quite a lot of the well-known stuff has been changed to further the story.

Is this giving you the opportunity to unleash your inner Britney or Ariana Grande or Jessie J?
You know, I don’t really listen to them and especially not now because I attach these songs so much to the show. There’s never been a moment where we have to sing the songs how the artists sing them. Also, we kind of put a bit of British flair into them and sometimes get told off if we get too American.

What do you make of comparisons that have been made between your show and Mamma Mia!, another jukebox musical that draws upon a Scandinavian-spawned back catalogue of hits—albeit by ABBA and not Max Martin.
I haven’t seen Mamma Mia! on stage, though I have seen the movie. Ours is similar in some ways, but I actually think the writing of the lyrics marries with the story very cleverly; every song has earned its place.

Isn’t it quite unusual to go from the operatic reaches of Claire De Loone in On the Town through to Hamilton and the chart-topping world of & Juliet?
What’s interesting is that the opera sound was the first style I ever started doing—Porgy and Bess and Ragtime, and when I got On the Town, it was amazing because I felt right at home. Now, working with someone like Max Martin, I’m learning about the mix between the musical theater world and the pop world, and if I were given the right song, I would love to try my own recording.

How does your experience in Hamilton in the West End seem in retrospect?
I’ll never forget our opening night, which was just electric. Everyone was excited about it already and they just absolutely loved it. Because of my understudying, I had to know three different harmony lines and three different blockings, and whenever I went on as one of the Schuyler sisters, I was in my element. I always knew this is what I wanted to do.

Does it feel nerve-wracking at all to be opening your show on consecutive days with Dear Evan Hansen, which is the other big West End musical of the season?
It doesn’t at all. I know that’s the leading show but I’m just so passionate about our show and what we’re bringing to the people. I don’t really think of theater in a competitive way; we’re more like one big family.

Speaking of Evan Hansen and Hamilton, have you ever been yourself to Broadway?
I’ve been there once. I went with my mum during the summer of 2018 while I was in Hamilton, and we saw Dear Evan Hansen, Once On This Island—and Hamilton!

Ha! Were you mouthing along with the cast?
[Laughs] What was funny was seeing all the backstage traffic, as well. I kind of knew one of the girls in the cast ,so I got to go on to the stage and it was really cool.

What is it like having a brother, Dex, who is also a musical theater performer [recently in Five Guys Named Moe]?
Dex is a year and a half older than me and was incredible from the get-go. He has so much charisma and inspired me so much to find this love for performing. I just think he’s incredible: what we need now is that dream show that features a brother and a sister lead!

In the meantime, how does it feel at this moment to see yourself on the & Juliet posters all across town?
It’s crazy! When I see the posters with my face on it, it doesn’t actually feel real. And already we’ve got people who are coming back to see the show six times, maybe 12. This experience has been really lovely.

And your name has such an unusual hyphenate, Miriam-Teak: do you have a nickname?
Yes, it’s unusual, I know. People call me MTL or Mims.